Electric-heating system.



S. M. & J. H, CARMEAN.

ELECTRIC HEATING SYSTEM. APPLxcATIoN man MAR. s. 1918.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

I UNITED STATES PATENT DFFICE.

SAMUEL M. CARMEAN AND JAMES H. CARMEAN, OF KANSAS CITY. MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC-HEATIN G SYSTEM.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, SAMUEL M. CAR- MEAN and JAMES H. CARMEAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Heating Systems; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part Iof this specification.

Our invention relates to an electric heating system and more particularly to a sys tem of that character comprising means whereby fresh air may be intaken and discharged from a common source-into one or a. plurality of distributing conduits which may lead to different parts o1" rooms of a building and wherein electrically controlled heating elements are located to heat the air as it is delivered from the conduits; the principal object of the invention being to provide an electric heating system of this Character that may be installed and operated at a relatively small cost 'and wherein the heating elements are individually controlled so that they may be used only as is necessary or desired.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a motor for operating the air circulating device and to so arrange the electrical connections therewith and with the heaters that the motor will be automatically controlled to operate a fan or other air circulating means to discharge air through the system according to the number of heating units in use, at that particular time.

In accomplishing these objects we have provided improved detail of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in Athe accompanying drawings Figure I is a diagrammatic View of a heatingI system installed in a building according to the present invention, showing the electric wiring of the fan motor and heating elements.

Fig. II is a horizontal sectional view of one ofthe heating devices at the end of a distributing conduit.

Fig. III is a front viewof the same. Fig. IV is a view showing a modified as distinguished from the delivery ends of the conduits.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:-

1 designates a suction blower of any ordinary type and which is driven by means of a belt 2 that operates over a pulley wheel 3 on the blower shaft 4 and a similar pulley wheel 5 on the drive shaft 6 of an electric motor 7.

In the present instance we have shown the blower located in the basement of a building, although it is not essential to the operation of the device that it be so placed, and leading thereto from the exterior of the building is a conduit 8 wherethrough fresh air may, on operation of the blower, be intaken and then discharged under pressure from the discharge end 9 of the blower into a lplurality of tubular distributing conduits -10 which may lead to different parts or rooms of the building. The conduits l() preferably are extended along the floors of the building orV within the' walls, so that thev will not be in the way of other articles that it mav be desired to place in the rooms and will also be removed from possible damage thereto.

The distributing conduits open into their respective rooms preferably through the side walls and are provided at their discharge ends with electric heaters 1Q, the latter being preferably inset within recesses 13 in the walls and comprise horizon tal cylindrical heating chambers 14 provided at their opposite ends with forwardly opening discharge openings 15-15 and centrally at the back sides'A with openings 16 which receive the upper ends of the air distributing conduits l0 so that the air forced by the blower fan through the several conduits will be discharged into the heaters and is in turn delivered therefrom into the rooms of the building. Each of the heating chambers 14: contains an electrically controlled heating element, preferably coniprising resistance coils 16 of any desirable number and form, which are mounted within tubular, porcelain containers 16 and are connected by circuit wires .1T-18 through suitable switches 19 with electric circuit line wires 20-21 and may by operation of the switches, be turned on or off to heat the coils as desired.

In order t regulate the discharge of air I.

vided at their upper ends with crank por-y tions 24 whereby the dempers may be turned to open, closed or intermediate positions to regulate the amount of 'air discharged into and from the heater.

We also provide the heating chambers 1t with V-shaped deiiector plates 25 which are fixed Within the chambers opposite the discharge openin 16 in such-a manner that the air discharge therein will be deflected toi ward the opposite ends of thechamber. We

also close the discharge openings 15-15 of the heating chambers with screen, or the like,

to prevent foreign objects, that might cause damage to the coils, from falling or being otherwise projected into. the heaters.

If it is desired the heating chambers may be made of a transparent material such as mica so that the coils would be exposed to view and thereby enhance the appearance of the device.

In order that the blower may be operated to furnish air to the heaters in sufiicient volume according to the number that are in use at any particular time we provide what is known as an automatic starter indicated at 3() and which is interposed in the line wire 2l which leads directly to the motor. This starter is so arranged that a certain amount of current passing through the line wires will actaate parts therein to permit a proportionate amount of current to go to the motor and as the number of heaters in use is varied, the current to the motor is proportionately varied so that the blower may be operated to maintain a practically constant pressure in the conduits.

The line wire 20 is connected to the motor through a vnormally open switch 32, which is automatically operated, by closing any one of the heater controlling switches to closed position, to close the circuit through the motor. .This switch comprises a pivotally mounted bar 33 having one end adapted to move into and out of contact with a contact point 34 to which one part of the line wire is fixed to make or break connection with the main, portion of the circuit Wire which is electrically connected to the arm through its mounting post 35.

Fixed on lthe end of the arm opposite the contact point is a core bar 36 adapted t'o operate within a solenoid coil 37 which has such electrical connection with Ythe heater controlling switches that when any one of the latter is turned to close a circuit through its respective heater, the coilwill be energized to liftthe arm to make contact ofthe arm and contact point and a circuit will be closed through thc motor and the latter will operate to drive the blower to discharge air into the conduits as it is needed to supplythe heaters.

In Fig. IV we have illustrated the use of heating coils 40 located at the discharge end of the blower as distinguished from placing separate heating coils in each of the distributing conduits. This latter form would be referable for supplying heat to large establishments where a constant supply of heat is used.

Assuming that the system is so arranged it is apparent that fresh air may be drawn into the blower through the conduit 8 and discharged under pressure into the distributing conduits l() and will be delivered therefrom in a desired volume according as permitted by the position of the dampers at the discharge ends. l

It is also apparent that the air will be forced through the heating coils and will be discharged into the rooms in a heated condition and that by maintaining a steady flow of air through the conduits the rooms may be Vkept at a constant temperature without requiring constant attention.

It is also seen that by providing dampers in the conduits as shown the flow of air into the rooms ma)7 be regulated according to the temperature which it is desired to maintain Within lthe room and that when the heater is not in use the conduit may be entirely closed so as to prevent the escape or discharge of cold air into the rooms.

It is further noted that a device so connected electrically with the line wires will operate automatically without unnecessary attention and will effectively heat and ventilate a building at a relatively small cost and the objectionable features of a coal or gas furnace are eliminated.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein, and desire t0 secure by Letters-Patent, is:-

1. A heating system comprising a blower, branch pipes leading from said blower, electric heaters at the discharge ends of the branch pipes, means whereby when one of the heaters is turned on the blower will operate and continue to operate until all of the heaters are turned off.'

2. A heating system comprising an electrically driven blower, branch pipes leading from said blower, heating elements at the delivery ends ofthe branch pipes, a separate circuit foreach heater and a blower circuit common to all of the first named circuits where-by the closing of one ofthe rst named circuits will cause the blower circuit to become energized and whereby the blower will become denergized only on opening of all the first named circuits.

3. In a heating system, ated means for causing a branch conduits leading electrically opercirculation of alr, from said means,

` through air from the blower may be forcontrolled electric heaters. in the respective conduits and electrically controlled means for simultaneously energizing the heaters andthe air circulating means. A

4. A heating system comprising a blower or other air circulating device having .a fresh air intake and a plurality of distributing conduits leading therefrom wherecibly discharged, electrically heating devices located in said 'conduits for heat-ing the air as it is discharged therethrough and means for individually controlling the heating and discharge of air. from each conduit,

5. A heating system comprising an electrically driven blower having an air inlet and a plurality of air outlets, an electrical heater for each air outlet, a source of electrical energy for the motor of the blower and for the heaters, an electric circuit between the source -of energy and the motor for the blower and auxiliary circuits in parallel on the first named circuit and supplying energy to the several heaters and a separate switch in each auxiliary circuit.

6. In a heating system, a blower or other air circulating device having a fresh air intake and a plurality of distributing conduits leading therefrom 'wherethrough air may be forcibly discharged by the blower to different parts of a room or buildingan electric motor for operating the blower, an electrically controlled heater located at the discharge end of each conduit for heating air dischargedy therefrom, an individual switch for each heater for closing or breaking an electric circuit therethrough vand means operable by the closing of an electric circuit through any of said heaters for closing an electric circuit through the motor to operate the blower for the purpose set forth.

7. In a heating system of the character described, a blower or other air circulating device, a fresh air conduit leading to the blower, a plurality of distributing conduits leading from the blower wherethrough air may be forcibly discharged to different parts of a room or'building, afheating element comprising a series of electrically heated coils located at the discharge end of each conduit whereby the air discharged therefrom may be heated, a. damper in each conduit for controlling. the flow of air therethrough, an electric motor for the blower, an individual switch for each heater for breaking or closing an electric circuit therethrough, a switch for controlling an electric circuit to the blower motor and means operable by closing any of the heater switches to close the motor switch and operable when all of said heater switches are open to open the motor switch forthe purpose set forth.

8. In a heating system of the character described, comprising a plurality of air distributing conduits and means for discharging air-through said conduits, air heating devices located at the discharge ends of said conduits; said heating devices each comprising a heating chamber provided with discharge openings at its opposite ends and having a side opening therein communicat- .ing with the air conduit, and electric heating coils disposed within the chambers for heating air discharged therethrough.

9. In a heating system of the character described, the combination with an air discharge conduit of a heating device comprising a tubular heating chamber having discharge openings at its opposite ends and having an opening at one side-for receiving the air conduit, a delector within the heating chamber for deiecting air delivered therein toward the end discharge openings, and a series of electrically heated coils disposed within the chamber through whichair discharged from the heater is required to pass for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

SAMUEL M. CARMEAN. JAMES H. CARMEAN. 

